Southern Belles
by underdressedandovereducated
Summary: The Earps and Doc Holliday settle in Tombstone only to find more trouble then they bargained for.


Doc Holliday had been sitting at the poker table for five hours now. The Oriental was his new romping ground since the Earps had their share in the place. With the watchful eye of Virgil and Wyatt he knew that he had to keep out of trouble. Less guns and more cheek. Poker was his game, no man stood a chance. Counting cards became second nature even when he was so drunk he couldn't see straight. The numbers, the suits, they buzzed around in his head without register.

Tombstone was just another mining camp, despite the sheriff's insistence that the town would grow. From the company the town kept, Doc knew this place would burn to the ground in a few years. Better to milk the town dry and leave then to stick around and watch its ruin. Doc snickered as he won another hand and collected his money. A dirty unwashed man from across the table jumped out of his seat in rage.

"God damn it Holliday."

"Don't get your knickers all knotted up Ike." Doc smirked downing another glass of whisky.

"I should kill you right now." Ike yelled drawing his gun and waving it in the doctor's face.

"Easy Ike, we don't want no trouble now." Virgil said.

"The hell you do!" Ike bellowed.

Two men walked in hearing the commotion. The cowboys surveyed the situation. Curly Bill walked over and sat in Ike's vacant seat.

"Afternoon boys." Curly said as the blonde haired cowboy stood behind his leader. Two more cowboys emerged through the saloon entrance. The notorious Johnny Ringo, walked in through the double doors, his gaze darted from Virgil to Wyatt then rested on Doc. Holliday smirked and poured himself another drink toasting Ringo.

Ringo spit on the saloon floor in response.

"Come on Ike, leave these men to their high class charade." Bill said.

"Hell no, Ima kill that son of a bitch." Ike said still pointing his gun at Holliday.

Wyatt watched the scene carefully. Ike had to be the stupidest man he had encountered in this town. The man was always picking fights wherever he went. It didn't help that Doc could never resist antagonizing him.

Bill and Ringo exchanged wayward glances.

"Ike darlin, you heard your master, go on home now." Doc said with a twisted smile.

Wyatt felt his stomach drop as he looked at Ike's face. The man had been pushed too far.

"Don't give in now Ike." A soft voice from behind Ringo spoke. A shadowed figure emerged from the corner. With a black gloved hand, the mysterious person removed the black hat on their head.

"This man's life ain't worth nothin'. Can't you see it in his face, he's practically begging for death." The black haired woman placed a gentle gloved hand on Ike's shoulder. Doc coughed up the whisky he just downed. The mysterious figure was a woman dressed in black trousers with a feminine white blouse tucked into the pants. Doc watched as she placed her hat gingerly onto the table. Curly Bill stood up and offered the lady his seat. She smiled sweetly at him, sat down, and crossed her legs in elegant manner. His eyes roamed over her tanned face, shoulder length black hair and obscure wardrobe before meeting her gaze. Her dark blue eyes latched onto his light blue ones, sending a shiver down his spine. He watched carefully as she placed a rolled cigarette between her rounded lips.

Ringo stepped forward, lighting her cigarette. She took one long drag before passing the tobacco back to him.

"My friends here, mentioned a Doc Holliday. I've been anxious to meet you sir, a Southern gentlemen gone to ruin...sounds like an interesting story." She said.

Doc starred in apprehension for a moment at the girl, a thousand questions fluttering in his mind. She wasn't a particularly attractive woman, her hair was cut short, and her face too tanned. The cowboys in the room seemed to treat her with respect, which eliminated suspicions of her occupation as being the cowboy's shared whore.

"I'm sure your story is far more intriguing." Doc answered studying the woman's amused face. The more he looked at her, the younger she appeared.

The woman's mouth spread into a small smile.

"May I?" She asked nodding at the bottle of whisky on the table beside Doc's arm.

Doc raised an eyebrow at the mysterious creature. "Be my guest. Milt, get the lady a glass would you?"

Ike had put his gun away, and the other cowboys seemed to have calmed down. Wyatt sighed internally, whoever this woman was she had just prevented a possible shootout.

Milt handed the glass to Doc. The lunger poured the whiskey in the glass before extending the glass across the table. The woman reached out for the glass softly wrapping her hand around his. He looked into her eyes once again, unable to read her thoughts as she stared back. After a few moments, Doc noticed the agitation growing on Ringo's face as he began to shuffle about in an annoyed manner. The woman seemed to notice to, releasing his hand.

"The boys in this town don't take to well to losing Mr. Holliday, perhaps you should find another town to clean dry." She said.

"Why when this one seems to be most beguiling?"

The woman smirked before downing the entire glass of whiskey. She placed her glass on the poker table, stood up, and put the black hat on top of her head.

"Mr. Holliday, Mr. Earp, Milt." She said nodding at each of them before exiting the saloon. The three cowboys followed suit. Ringo lingered for a moment spitting on the ground again and staring at Holliday before finally leaving to join his friends.

"Well I'll be damned." Virgil said.

"Who the hell was that woman?" Wyatt asked looking at Milt.

"Yes Milt, who is that duplicitous little creature." Doc asked taking another drink of whiskey.

"That's Layla Lafoy. She been coming around here for almost a year now."

"A strange looking prostitute, what kinda town is this anyway?" Virgil asked.

"She ain't no prostitute sir. You couldn't touch that woman with a ten foot pole if you wanted too. The last man who tried, he was a cowboy, after she knocked him out, Ringo stripped him of his manhood. I heard she still has it as a souvenir."

Doc couldn't help but laugh. "A woman knock out a man? Milt you really are an old hen."

Wyatt was unamused. "Well if she isn't a prostitute, she must be some sort of family to one them cowboys the way they act around her."

"When she first came to town, she brought Ringo and Bill with her. They've been here since. Then she left for a while. Just got back in town recently I think. Haven't seen her in a few months."

"Travelling alone? How unorthodox." Doc said standing up from the table.

"Indeed." Said Virgil.

"I wouldn't worry too much about it, she's harmless really, more of a peacekeeper I'd say." Milt added.

"Not worried Milt, just intrigued." Doc answered.

"Well she must be somethin' if those cowboys respect her." Wyatt noted. He had never in all his time seen a woman dressed in that manner and keep such unpolished company. There had to be more to this story then any of them new.


End file.
